Mengal wants new govt to focus on missing persons

| PTI, BNP-M strike deal to form government in Centre

ISLAMABAD - Balochistan National Party-Mengal Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Wednesday said that the upcoming government should give preference to the matter of recovery of missing persons of Balochistan. “I will make all my efforts for the recovery of missing persons of Balochistan,” Sardar Akhtar Mengal said in an exclusive chat with The Nation.

Mengal, who won in July 2018 polls from a Balochistan constituency, is set to become a coalition partner of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the centre. He said that the matter of missing persons should have been resolved much earlier if concrete steps had taken in this regard.

However, he showed optimism the matter of missing persons would be resolved in the upcoming government.

About implementation of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said the matter regarding proper implementation for removing the sense of deprivation would also be taken up with the upcoming government. He said that the important pending matters related to Balochistan would surely be raised.

About his possible meeting with the PTI, Mengal said that it would be cleared after his parley with PTI’s senior members, including Jhangir Tareen, whether to meet Imran Khan or not.

Earlier, the PTI members flew to Quetta for meeting BNP-Mengal chief to discuss matter regarding the formation of government in the centre.

A PTI’s delegation, a couple of days ago, had met BNP-M Chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal and requested his support for formation of government in the Centre.

Earlier, PTI’s senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan has agreed to accept six-point agenda floated by BNP-Mengal chief a couple of days before. Monitoring Desk adds: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Balochistan National Party Mengal group (BNP-Mengal) on Wednesday struck an agreement to form government in Centre.

The six-point agreement was signed after consensus reached between the PTI and BNP.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta along with PTI leaders on Wednesday, BNP-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal said that the sole aim of holding meeting in Quetta was to create awareness about the issues people of the province are facing.

He said: “We have presented our points in front of various political parties and at different forums and without these points we cannot solve the issues of the province and assurances needed to resolve these issues.”

Mengal said that they have reached consensus on six points after a detailed meeting was held with the PTI leadership.

BNP does not desire any ministry or top slot, the BNP chief said and added they only want the issues of the province be addressed.

Speaking on the ocassion, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Balochistan is a part of the federation and the PTI government will keep the province with it. He said that the BNP has announced to support PTI’s candidate for premiership.

“We have signed a landmark agreement with the BNP-M,” Qureshi said. He said that the issue of missing persons would be addressed on a priority basis and added that National Action Plan (NAP) would be implemented.

The document was signed by Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jahangir Khan Tareen from the PTI and Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Jahangzeb Jamal Dini and Agha Hasan Baloch on behalf of the BNP-M.

Sardar Akhtar Mengal, at the occasion, said that he had held a detailed telephonic conversation with Imran Khan. “We hope that joint efforts would be made to address the challenges being faced by Balochistan,” he said, adding that the people of Balochistan had been facing difficulties for the past 70 years.